Volt France stands in solidarity with Armenia and the Armenian people
Volt France stands in solidarity with Armenia and the Armenian people
Paris, 24 April 2023 - Armenia and the Armenian people continue to be subjected to military aggression by Azerbaijan, including an attack on Armenian territory in September 2022 that left more than 200 dead on the Armenian side, in direct violation of ceasefire agreements. Since this attack, Azerbaijan has militarily occupied a portion of Armenian territory in the Syunik region. In addition, since 11 December 2022, Azerbaijan has been blockading the Latchin Corridor, which is the only land link between the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. This action deprives the 120,000 inhabitants of the enclave of food, energy and medical care. In March 2023, several Nagorno-Karabakh policemen were killed in an ambush by Azerbaijani soldiers.
These actions by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are unacceptable and must be denounced. We call on the international community to strongly condemn these human rights violations and to take measures to protect civilians in the region. We stress the utmost importance of respecting the territorial integrity of Armenia, the rights of the Armenian population to self-determination and security, as well as the safe and swift return of refugees and displaced persons.
We also call on the Azerbaijani authorities to respect international law and to immediately end the blockade of the Latchin Corridor, as well as to withdraw all military forces from the occupied Armenian territory.
The 44-day war of October and November 2020, which left more than 6,500 people dead, ended with a ceasefire, the implementation of which is under the control of a Russian peacekeeping force. Armenia and the Armenian population continue to be the target of armed and verbal aggression by Azerbaijan, without the Russian peacekeeping force, whose mission is to protect the civilian population, having taken effective measures to stop it. Moreover, the OSCE Minsk Group, mandated to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is paralysed by Russia, hampering efforts to achieve a long-term solution for the region.
Armenia's long-standing ties with Russia and its allies in the CSTO have proved insufficient to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. These continued aggressions and the lack of response from the Russian peacekeeping force are unacceptable. We call on the international community to hold Azerbaijan and Russia accountable for their failure to comply with international agreements and for their inaction in the face of the violence perpetrated against the Armenian population.
In the face of this alarming situation, it is urgent that the European Union plays a more active role in ensuring security and stability in Armenia. Two years after the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, we can only welcome this rapprochement and the enormous progress made by Armenia. The European Union must now take concrete diplomatic steps to support the Armenian people and protect their right to life, security and freedom. We call on the European Union to provide emergency humanitarian aid to meet the immediate needs of the people affected by the violence, as well as long-term financial support to help rebuild infrastructure and strengthen Armenia's capacity to cope with the future. Finally, we call on the European Union to assume its responsibilities towards Armenia and to put pressure on Azerbaijan to respect international agreements and to stop armed aggression against Armenia and the Armenian people.
The European Union must act in a determined and united manner in its external policy to ensure security and stability in Armenia and the South Caucasus region.
In this context, which poses a serious threat to stability and peace in the South Caucasus and beyond, we:
- Condemn the armed aggression and threats of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Armenians,
- Call for the immediate lifting of the blockade of the Latchin Corridor, in accordance with the protective order issued by the International Court of Justice on 22 March 2023, as well as the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani forces occupying a portion of the internationally recognized territory of Armenia
- Give our full support to the Armenian people who are victims of these aggressions and threats and to the democratically elected government of the Republic of Armenia,
- Approve and fully support the initiative launched by the President of the European Council to create a European civil mission to contribute to the delimitation of the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
- Welcome the initiative of the European Parliament to propose a transitional justice mechanism including civil society activists from both countries,
- Call on the European Commission to condemn the statements made by the Azerbaijani dictatorship aiming at the annexation of Armenia and ethnic cleansing,
- Call for the UN Security Council to take up the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the aggression of Azerbaijan in case of continued inaction by the Minsk Group.
On this 24th of April, the anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, the Volt movement urges Turkey to recognise the genocidal nature of the massacres perpetrated against Armenians by the Young Turk government in 1915-1916, in accordance with the European Parliament's resolution of 18 June 1987 and similar resolutions adopted by the governments and parliamentary assemblies of 16 European Union member states.
On this day of remembrance, the Volt movement strongly condemns any attempt to deny the Armenian Genocide and stands with the Armenian community in honouring the victims of the first atrocity of the 20th century.
About Volt
As the first truly pan-European party, Volt is committed to reforming the European Union and responding to today's challenges in a coordinated way at European level. Volt's vision: a progressive Europe with an inclusive society, a climate-friendly economy, an adaptable education system and self-determined digitalisation.
Volt is convinced that only the democratic participation of all European citizens will prepare us for a sustainable, economically strong and socially just future. This is why Volt acts at all levels - from local to European, as a movement and as a party. The movement gives everyone a voice and the opportunity to engage politically from within society. Today, Volt is present all over Europe: thousands of people of all ages and professions are involved in 30 European countries with teams in hundreds of cities.
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Contact
Zoé Gadeyne - Responsible Communication
Mail : zoe.gadeyne@volteuropa.org
Valérie Chartrain - Responsible External relations
Mail : valerie.chartrain@volteuropa.org
Updated April,24th 2023, Photo Wikimedia Commons - The eternal flame at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan in 2008.